Theater-chair.



No. 792,566. PATENTBD JUNE 13, 1906. E. H. WIERSGHING & G. J. BERGSTROM.

THEATER CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1904.

Arron/v5 Nrran STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

Araivr Fries.

EDVARD H. WTIERSCHING AND CARL J. BERGSTROM. OF BINGHAMTON, NET YORK; SAID BERGSTROM ASSIGNOR TO SAID VIERSCHING.

TH EATER-CHAI R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,566, dated J' une 13, 1905.

Original application iiled March 14, 1904, Serial No. 198,177x Divided and this application filed J' une 24, 1904. Serial No. 213,951.

To all wiz/071i it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD H. WinnsonrNG, a citizen of the United States, and CARL J. BERGSTROM, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, both residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Theater-Chair, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This application is a division of the application made by us for an improvement in theater-chairs filed on the 141th day of March, 1904, Serial No. 198,177, and allowed May is, 1904.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a special construction of theater and similar chairs wherein the seats will be normally held close to the backs of the chairs by means of suitable tension devices, the seats being held in a horizontal position only when occupied, the controlling factors of the seats being such that they will automatically raise the seats when the latter are vacated.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, economic, and folding connection between the arms of the seats, the backs, and the seats proper.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved chair, the seat being in its lower or receiving position. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the improved chair g and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower body portion of the improved chair, the seat being partially raised.

The body of the chair consists of a back A, a seat B, and arms C, and at the lower portion of the frame of the back a downwardlyextending auxiliary and preferably skeleton frame 1() is formed; but this auxiliary or skeleton frame does not extend to the side portions of the main frame.

At one lower' corner of the auxiliary frame 10 a disk formation 11 is provided, adapted to rest upon the top of a pedestal or other support, and a spindle 12 extends downward from the central portion of this disk formation and is intended to loosely fit or be pivotally mounted in the aforesaid pedestal or support.

At the lower end of each side of the back A a forwardly-extending foot 13 is formed, and a space 14 intervenes between the inner faces of these feet and the outer walls of the auxiliary frame 10. Each foot 13 at its bottom portion is provided with a recess 15, the purpose of which will be hereinafter set forth, and these recesses 15 are preferably of segmental formation, as is shown in Fig. 3.

Each side member of the frame of the back at its rear is provided about centrally with rearwardly-extending lugs 16, forming abutments at their lower portions, and the feet 13, above referred to, together with the outer side faces of the side portions of the frame of the back up to the said lugs 16, are within the plane of the side edges of the frame of the back. Plates 17 are secured to the outer side edges of the frame of the back at the lugs 16, and these plates are formed with feet 18 at their lower ends, as is shown in Fig. 1, extending forwardly and corresponding in formation to the feet 13, forming a portion of the back-frame proper. Consequently a vertical space 19 is obtained between the plates 17 and the back-frame proper.

The frame of the seat B is pivoted to the frame of the back A by means of a shaft 20, which extends through the frame of the seat and likewise through the feet 13 and 18, above referred to, forming a portion of the backframe. A spring 21 is carried by the shaft 20, being located thereon in two coils, as is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The material of these coils is formed in a loop 22 located between the coils, which loop has bearing against the under face of the seat B and has a tendency to normally close the seat against the back, as the ends 22a of the material of which the spring is made are anchored or secured in any suitable or approved manner in the auxiliary frame l() or other convenient support below the lower' portion of the backframe proper of the chair.

Forwardly-curved links 23 have movement of the frame of the back, and at the same time the upper faces of the sides of the frame of the seat enter the openings lei; and have perfect bearing against the lower main )ort-ion of the C e i back, as is shown m Fig. 2, so that at such i time the seat cannot drop below the position it should occupy to comfortably accommodate the occupant. The upper ends of the forwardly-curved links 23 are pivotally connected with the arms C of the seat. These arms when the seat is in a horizon tal position occupy a corresponding position, as is shown in Fig. l, and when the seat is unoccupied and is automatically folded up' by the spring 21, heretofore referred. to, the arms fold up against the front faces of the side members of the back-frame, as is indicated in Fig. 3. The outer end portions of the arms C are pivotally connected with the frame of the seat B by means of links 26, as is best shown in Fig. l.

ln order that the arms C shall not at any time leave the back of the seat, auxiliary links 27 are pivoted where the curved links 23 connect with the rear portions of the arms, and each of these auxiliary ripper links 26 is provided with head 2S. The auxiliary links 27 extend through the openings 19, having free movement therein, and the heads of the links have bearing against the rear of the frame of the back, as is shown in Figs. l and 2, and against the rear edge of the attached plates 17. The arms C cannot sag very far downward, however7 even after great wear, as the sagging movement of the arms will be limited by reason of the heads 2S of the said auxiliary links being at su eh time brought in. engagement with the lugs 16 at the rear of the frame of the back A.

ln Figs. l and 2 of the drawings we have shown a box 29 at an upper side portion of the backA, which box is .located at the rear of the back. l/Vithin this box a lever 30 is mounted, carrying a latch-pin 3l, which extends out through an aperture in. the back of the seat in direction of the front portion of the said back, and a rod 32 is shown connected with the lever ?0, passing through a guide 33 at the rear of the back, which rod 32is springcontrolled. This rod and the latch and lever are adapted as operating mediums for the seat, which mediums have been described and claimed in the allowed application heretofore referred to and form no portion of the present application.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent* l. ln theater-chairs, a back, a seat pivoted to the back between its ends, a tension device serving to normally hold the seat in an upright position in engagement with the back, and arms connected at their rear ends with the rear end of the seat and. adapted to be moved up and down thereby, said roar ends of the arms also having sliding connection. with the back of the chair.

2. ln theater or similar chairs, a back, a seat pivoted to the back, a tension device acting to normally hold the seat in an upright position, links pivoted to the seat and having sliding movement in the back, arms pivoted to the links and to the seat, and asliding connection between the rear ends of the arms and the back of the chair.

f3. ln theater and similar chairs, a back, a support for the back, a seat pivoted to the back, the back being provided with recesses serving to limit the downward movement of the seat, the said back being provided with vertical. openings at its side portions, springs arranged to have bearing against the bottom ofthe seat and to normally force the said seat in an upper position against the front portion of the back, rearwardly-curved links pivoted to the seat and having play in the said openings at the side portions of the back7 arms pivotally connected with the said rearwardlycurved links, forward links pivotally connecting the said arms with the seat, and guide-links which pass through the said openings at the sides of the back, the said guidelinks having heads at their rear ends adapted for engagement with the rear face of the said back, and means for limiting the upward movement of the said guides.

4. In folding chairs, a back7 a seat pivoted to the back, links pivoted to the seat at their lower ends, arms pivoted to the upper ends of the links and to the seat, and a sliding connection between the rear ends of the arms and the back of the chair.

5. ln folding chairs, a back, a seat pivoted to the back, between its ends and arms pivotally connected with the rear end of the seat, and having a pivotal and sliding connection with the back.

G. ln folding chairs, a back, a support for the back, a foot extending forwardly from the back at either side' thereof, said back having a recessed portion at each side of said feet, a seat pivoted to the back at the forward ends and inner sides of said feet7 the side members of said seat extending rearwardly and projecting into the recesses at IOO the inner sides of said feet, and adapted to engage the upper ends of said recesses to form stops for the seat when it is lowered to its operative position, links pivotally connected to the seat and extending upwardly into the outer recessed portions of the back, arms for the seat pivotally connected at their rear ends to the upper ends of said links, and links pivotally connecting the forward ends of said arms with the forward end of the seat.

7. In folding chairs, a back, a support for the hack, a foot extending forwardlyT from the back at either side thereof, said back having a recessed portion at each side of said feet, a seat pivoted to the back at the forward ends and inner sides of said feet, thc side members of said seat extending rearwardly and projecting into the recesses at the inner sides of said feet, said inwardly-proj ecting portions of the sides having stops extending outwardly and adapted to engage the under sides of said feet members when the seat is in operative position7 links pivotally connected to the outer ends of said stops and extending upwardly into the outer recessed portions of the back, arms for the seat pivotallyT connected at their rear ends to the upper ends of said links, and links pivotally connecting the forward ends of said arms with the forward end of the seat.

8. ln theater-chairs, a back, a seat pivoted to the hack between its ends, arms Jfor the chair, and front and rear links connecting said arms with the seat on opposite sides of its pivot-point, said rear links having sliding connection with the back of the chair.

In testimonyT whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD H. WIERSCHING. CARL J. BERGSTROM. Vitnesses z CHARLEs E. PATTERSON, DELos C. GROFF. 

